DAYL Leadership Class: A Legacy of Leadership

In 1997, the DAYL created a program for lawyers that would provide a pathway of leadership. Never anticipating what the future of the program would become, it was easy to see after that first year, the DAYL Leadership Class would be instrumental in guiding young lawyers in Dallas through paths of leadership and involvement in both the bar and the community.

On April 3rd, over 200 Leadership Class alumni reunited at the House of Blues to celebrate seventeen years of leading the profession and the community. The event was the first large scale DAYL Leadership Class reunion since the program began. Members from each of the seventeen classes reconnected over cocktails and recounted fond memories of their time in the leadership class. A slide show and photo albums assembled for the event displayed pictures from past leadership class retreats and projects. Long time DAYL Leadership Class facilitator, Rob Crain, welcomed attendees and provided fun facts about each class while highlighting each class’s signature service project. Before departing for the evening, attendees crowded together for a large group picture. A great time was had by all and everyone is looking forward to the next reunion!

A huge thank you goes to the alumni reception’s generous sponsor, Charles River Associates, for making the event possible. A special thank you also goes to Jeff Matthews with Charles River Associates for his continued support of the DAYL. If you are interested in learning more or participating in the DAYL Leadership Class, applications are currently being accepted for the 2014 Leadership Class and are due by June 9, 2014.

Fun Facts About Past Leadership Classes and Class Projects

1997 Class – was the inaugural class. It had 29 members.
1998 Class – Robert Witte began his 16 year tenure as class facilitator.
1999 Class – was the first class to organize a class project: A Masquerade Ball Benefiting the Lupus Foundation of North Texas where attendees dined and danced with the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History in Fair Park.
2000 Class – was the first class to focus on what would become a trend among leadership class projects: Dallas Education. The class focused on tutoring students at a local elementary school, concluding the semester with a field day for the students.
2001 Class – holds the record for the quickest class project completion (8 weeks from first scheduled lunch – The Freedom Run. It also holds the record for the longest standing DAYL event that started as a class project.
2002 Class – had a sitting U.S. Senator and future Presidential hopeful, Bob Dole, speak to hundreds of attendees at a luncheon for Education is Freedom.
2003 Class – had Beatles tribute band a Hard Night’s Day play for their event, which included organizing post-event activities for Tour Dallas.
2004 Class – held Poker for Playgrounds, which raised money to build a playground at a DISD school in East Dallas.
2005 Class – raised the most money as a class. Big Easy in Big D raised over $24,000.
2006 Class – Was the first class to have an overnight out-of-town retreat. They also organized the largest single day of community involvement in DAYL history. Impacting: DISD had over 300 volunteers who volunteered at five DISD elementary schools.
2007 Class – was the first class to have a competitive class project: DAYLympics. Teams of four participated in dodgeball, relay races, tug-of-war, and a school supply weigh-in.
2008 Class – was the first class to have a website to promote its class project: Food for Thought. Food Network captured the event on live TV!
2009 Class – the 2009 Leadership Class project, Zoo-A-Palooza, helped expose DAYL to the new Dallas Zoo exhibit: Giants of the Savannah. It was the only class project where a giraffe would literally eat right out of your hand!
2010 Class – was the first class to attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Records by making over 80,000 pancakes in an 8-hour time period. Near freezing and monsoon-type weather conditions impeded the attempt, but hot pancakes were very much appreciated by White Rock Marathoners!
2011 Class – the 2011 class was the first class to have two separate class project activities: a sporting goods supply drive in the spring and an 8-week mentoring session in the fall, which focused on professionalism, interview skills, and etiquette. Both projects benefited the students at KIPP Charter School.
2012 Class – had the City of Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings attend its class project to welcome everyone to GrowSouth Jams.
2013 Class – is currently planning their class project, the DAYL Charity Ball, scheduled for November 15, 2014.